Angel Fire
by Angel Press
Summary: SXS NOT Yaoi. Squall is a female trying to make her way in Garden and understand the strange happenings that are occuring around her. Set before the FFVIII timeline
1. Burning Ice

**A/N: Ok, well, in a weird way, I'm back. But since I went back and re-read my story, I realize that I tried to progress it a little faster than I want. So…After many months (years) of being dead I'm gonna revise this story. Only thing is, I've changed the direction of this story (if I ever had one), so a lot will change but not everything. Thanks, and sorry for disappearing for so long.**

Again- Squall is a female in this story, I've had a flame, and I know it doesn't work for everybody. I don't care. If you don't like it, DON'T READ!!

1) No Yaoi. Period

2) This is set BEFORE FFVIII

Pairings: SxS, a bit of QxN, and whatever I may think of.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Summary: Squall has pretended to be a female for many years while at Garden. She, and all others, has forgotten everything, although they have no GFs junctioned currently. Soon after her 15 birthday, Squall starts noticing strange happenings as something big starts.

**_Angel Fire_**

**Prologue**

Thunder rolled in the distance while another lightening strike landed near the little house. A loud scream echoed down the hall as well as a nurse maids hushing. "Raine love, it's almost there, push!" The maid whispered the encouragement to the sweat soaked woman. The nurse's attendant looked nervously on the sight while waiting for an order.

"I can't anymore!" It wasn't a lie either. She'd been trying to have this child for the last forty-eight hours and there were still few signs of progress.

"No, I can see it." And it was the truth. Not ten minutes later, a squalling girl entered the world. "It's a little girl Raine, a girl!" The maid exalted. But, the woman Raine was now fighting a different fight. "Melody, come here!" An urgent whisper put the attendant in motion. But Raine couldn't hear, nor feel what the other woman tried to do. She only saw heaven, and beautiful wings.

**Chapter One: Burning Ice**

Walking down the hall, Balambs smallest Gunblade trainee stared hard at the floor, ignoring the figure attempting to catch up with her. "Hey, what you running from? It's only a sparring match!" Called the voice she was so desperately trying to avoid.

Seifer was usually not one to be ignored, but he knew this was just one tactic his stoic rival would attempt before 'he' would give in and duel. It was a ritual of sorts; Seifer supposed it was almost like a dance. Gaining speed, he caught up with the errant brunette.

Squall had the pleasure of thinking _Oh joy _before feeling a hard wall to her back.

"Come on, it'll be fun." Seifer smirked as the 'boy' looked away from his face with an impassive look. "You can't ignore me boy." Seifer said in a sing song voice.

"I don't want to duel." Was the low reply that even Seifer had to strain to hear.

"Well, ain't that nice? Wanna know something? I don't care. I need to train 'cause they got me signed up for a SeeD test." Blue eyes looked up to meet green. With a sigh, a small nod was issued. "Alright, I knew you'd see it my way. Meet me at the front gate in thirty minutes." And then after doing a once over, "Bring some potions too." And with a smirk, the blond was gone down the hall, leaving a very quiet brunette in his wake.

Swallowing another sigh, Squall turned toward the dormitories and started to prep herself for a long and annoying battle. Growling low in her throat, she wondered why she let herself be talked into dueling every time.

After eventually making the trek to her room, she was faced with the metal door. Punching in the lock code with more aggression than needed, Squall stalked into her room and began gathering all the necessary items she would need in her upcoming duel. Gunblade, potions, and a few status tonics to cure any ailment she might run across on the way to their "Spot".

Glancing at the clock, she realized she only had fifteen minutes before she was declared late and thus a coward. Sucking in a deep breath, Squall held in for a moment before releasing. Without another thought, she strode from the room and on to a battle.

Seifer studied his opponent while 'he' settled into 'his' stance. 'He' hadn't said anything since he had agreed to the duel, but it wasn't much of a surprise. Squall was never much of a talker anyway. "So, have you gotten any better? Or is this just going to be another waste of my time?" He asked, smirking at the anger flaring lightly up in the blue eyes across from him.

Squall seethed in her head for a moment, thinking about how he was the one to instigate every duel, yet he bitched about it not being good enough. It was like buying a magazine, yet writing to the editor on how it sucked ass. Fortunately, she was forced to think about it no longer, as Seifer came charging toward her without warning.

"You gotta stay on your toes boy, if you ever want to beat me." Seifer crowed lightly as Squall gave a weak parry. She knew she wasn't as strong as he was, but hey, she still wanted to give it her all. It was just a fact that women were weaker, unless they pushed themselves to become the best. And she planned to do just that.

Swinging her blade in an attempt to ward off an on coming blow, Seifer dodged left and parried, pushing her back a few paces. "It doesn't look like you've gotten any better… what a shame. I had been hoping I'd actually get some training in." Seifer was back to smirking again.

Again she thought _why do you continue to ask me here?_ But held her tongue knowing it would get her nowhere but on the ground faster. Maybe she should just say no next time. The thought was fleeting as she was forced to dodge another blow and parry the next.

"Move faster or next time I won't miss." Seifer called as they parted for a breather. Glaring, Squall charged at the taller man, hoping it would catch him slightly off guard. It did for a moment, and that's all she needed to land a quick blow, breaking through the skin on Seifer's arm despite being blunted.

"Little bastard, that actually hurt!" Seifer snapped as he reeled back, taking a moment to inspect the cut. It would definitely leave a bad bruise. Glaring up at the little 'man' across from him he swore Squall'd learn what 'causing first blood meant. "You shouldn't have done that…But, good for you for trying to grow a spine." He growled, "Although the timing was not your best." He finished with a smile.

Frowning, Squall saw a fire leap into her rival's eyes and wondered what exactly he had in mind. Pulling her blade up in defense, she decided to wait and see what he'd pull. When a slight bit of fire surrounded Seifer's blade, Squall took an involuntary step back.

"This is what a limit break looks like." Seifer smirked, focusing in on a wary Squall, then unleashed a series of slashes wreathed in fire, all aimed for non vital areas. Unable to ward off every blow, Squall settled for blocking the ones directed at more important places. The heat was becoming intense and the clinking of swords became louder as the battle took a desperate feel. Squall felt the many stings from the fiery blade, most leaving a burn and a bruise but very few broke skin.

When he finally let up, Squall pushed off Seifer's blade, trying hard to ignore the damage. "Give up? Or do I need to try that one again?" Seifer seemed elated and Squall was quite certain he'd never been able to pull that one off before. Now she was just faced with the choice of either giving up, or trying to actually fight back. Opting for the second, she raised her blade and charged again. Not the smartest on her part, but it was a small surprise to her rival, which was all she felt like she needed.

Throwing her full weight behind her blade, she landed a blow onto Seifer's sword that nearly nocked it out of his hands. Pulling back she lunged but was blocked. Sweeping her sword out, she attempted to set Seifer back a step but he locked his blade under hers and twisted, flinging it away and upsetting Squall's balance. Landing hard on her back, Squall saw stars and spot as Seifer loomed over head.

"I won again. What a surprise." Seifer smirked, shouldered his weapon and walked away. Eventually Squall slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, looking at the retreating form of her rival who was now about over half way back to Garden. Sighing, she pulled herself up and 

walked over to her pack. Pulling out a potion with a wince she settled on pouring the liquid onto a small rag and swiping over the cuts, burns, and bruises. Cocking her head to the side she hissed at the sting of the potion proving it was working.

When the liquid had finished its job, she shuddered and stood. Seifer was no longer in sight. Meaning he must have made it back to Garden. Pulling her pack onto her shoulders she began her trek back to her home. It was a beautiful glowing blue and silver building from far away, u close it was more like a hotel in a large city. Phony and much too clean. Shaking her head at her thoughts, Squall kept walking until she made it to the front gate without incident.

Glancing at the guard at the entrance hall, Squall blinked in greeting and continued back to her dorm. It would be pointless to go all the way to the infirmary and be told something she already knew. Stopping in front of her door she put a hand on her hip and glaring at the note attached to the door. She only had to look at the signature to know it needed tossing without reading. It was Seifer gloating as usual.

Typing the lock code, she entered her quiet room and disposed of her pack. Turning to her small dresser she pulled out the usual black pants and white shirt, as well as an extreme durable bandage and white cotton boy shorts. Stuffing the unusual items inside her shirt and wrapping that in her pants and a towel she wondered out of her room and carefully to the private staff bathroom. She had been given permission by the Headmaster to use the particular facility due to the nature of her Problem.

The Problem being a cross dresser. She wasn't sure how she became this way, only that she was enrolled under **Gender: Male **and had been she could remember. She had once raised the question to a teacher, who'd directed her to Cid. He didn't give a clear reason as to why, only that for now it was necessary for her training and that it would progress her studies. Now at the age of fifteen, she wasn't quite sure how that worked, but if that was the way it was, it was much too late to change due to the shock, problems, and possible court marshalling from other Gardens. So now, Squall just went along in stride, keeping up the sham and going through the motions of acting male as possible.

After taking a quick look around, Squall pulled out an access card she had in her back pocket and slid it through the lock. With a bing the door opened and allowed her to slip inside quietly and deposit her clothing inside her shower area. The teachers had private baths, with each shower area acting as a small bathroom furnished with a tub/shower, a toilet, sink, all needed toiletries, and a bench to put clothes on.

Stripping from her dirty clothes, Squall turned on the spray to warm and stepped under. Standing there, she allowed herself to relax slightly as the water drops pounded on her hair and on the floor. Reaching over to the shampoo dispenser she gathered a small blob or the stuff and lathered it into her hair. Turning back, she grabbed a wash cloth and soap then began washing off the potion residue, dried blood, and dirt.

Watching the soapy dirty water wash down the drain, Squall turned the water cold to finish her shower. She liked starting her showers hot and then turning it icy to keep cool. It was a habit she'd picked up when weather was unbearably hot. Finally finished, she turned the knobs to shut off the spray and pulled her towel away from her clothes. Drying off took a short time and then she started to wrap the new bandage around her chest. She had started that ritual almost four years ago and now it was getting harder. She supposed that was how women from back the felt with a corset on.

Once finished, she meandered slowly from the room, making sure she hadn't left anything behind. Soon she arrived at her dorm and was lock inside quite cozily. Humming out a sigh, Squall threw her unwashed clothes into a small hamper and pushed it under the bed. Plopping down, she pulled the stiff sheets back and crawled to the headboard and slid under. A short nap before dinner wouldn't hurt…..

-Dream-

Everything was black and faded, but she could still feel the ground underneath was covered in grass. There was a voice, quiet and soothing, but Squall was unsure who's it was or where it came from. Soon that question was answered when delicate hands lifted her head and put it into its lap. She could feel the cotton dress beneath, and wondered how she knew it was a dress. Giving up on figuring out, she closed her eyes and listened to the soft whisper of the wind and smelled the traces of lily laced into it.

**First bit done….Hah! I'll be having more time to write because my boyfriend is really busy with school and its summer… Plus I want to revise this really bad 'cause when I looked at the older one, I couldn't help but wonder where was I going and what was I doing with this story? Then I realized, hey, I didn't have a direction so I made one up. So yeah, it's gonna be different and the other chapter will be taken down and revised. Thanks ya'll, I know I've been forever, but bear with me on this!**


	2. Freezing Fire

**A/N: Well, I'm back for another chappy.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter Two: Freezing Fire

Morning was one of those times that you either enjoyed or loathed. There was no middle ground. Squall was a morning person. Sitting on the second floor railing the small form was staring impassively toward the pastel sky, watching the yellow sun roam up from her bed below the horizon. Thoughts of the battle had drifted far from her mind and now she only focused on the calming breeze and the silence of the morning.

Within the silence there was laced unease from the night's dreams. Though they were only that, just dreams, she wasn't sure why they should re occur more than once in a week. She'd always figured that dreams were echoes from the day, fun house mirrors of reality rippling their own truths into the subconscious. Problem was that none of the events had ever happened. It could have just been an accumulation of negative stress she had been feeling due to an annoying blond and exams on the horizon.

Soon the school would empty for the summer and the student would go back to their homes. All but the orphans enrolled who would be forced to attend summer classes. True, it wasn't hard work and hours were only from eight to eleven, but there still was class to contend with. Squall had already planned on most of her free time to be devoted to training. She couldn't stand another crushing defeat like she had suffered the day before.

Looking at the position of the now risen sun, Squall figured it was time to head into the large Garden and start for the class room. Sliding of the thick rail, she set down and started for the door. Pressing the open button on the door, she slipped into the empty corridor taking small steps toward her classroom. There was no reason to hurry considering she had about fifteen minutes or so until class would begin. Only the newer student would actually be in the large room, believing that somehow they might manage to catch up with those that had been at the school longer.

Entering class, Squall focused on reaching her seat and looking at that only. She wanted to avoid any questions she may have to answer from hopeful newbie's. Reaching the desired designation, she shifted her gaze to the computer screen that was built into the seat. Typing ID number and access code she was able to reach mostly anything in the computers. Clicking on the GF 

discussion hub, she checked to see if any new GFs had been found or reported. When she saw only news on the training Guardians she logged off and waited for the bell. When it did sound the class was soon filled with students. Listening to the footsteps, Squall could distinguish her rivals from all others with ease. His was the most confident and loud out of them all.

"So, get back yesterday? I figured you may have just decided to stay there for a change." His voice also held the characteristics of his feet, loud and annoying. Looking up at her rival, she sent an icy glare toward the behemoth-in-human-form even though he'd long become accustom to the frigid glance.

Shrugging when her eyes refused to shift, Seifer moved over to his seat across from the silent brunette. Giving him a final silent piece of her mind, Squall moved her eyes to the front of the class as the teacher entered. The petite woman that stepped through the door was the object of fear and obsession. Xu, a young dark haired woman from Trabia had both the men and women of the class silent with respect.

"Good morning class." She spoke in her heavily accent laced voice.

"Good morning ma'am." Was the students reply.

"Now, before I check the grid for your homework, is there anything you need to say? No? The sign on the Social studies grid and begin on the next module." She finished, walking over to her desk.

Going back to her own desk, Squall typed the password and clicked on the social studies menu. Suppressing a sigh, she began to count down the minutes until the period ended.

At three o'clock sharp, the alarm signaling the end of class sounded. A few cheers here and there were heard, but most of the students filed out talking quietly among themselves. Along with the other students was Seifer hanging with his 'disciplinary' committee, and Squall moving silently behind them. Trying to pass by the blond and his companions, she slipped closer to the edge of the hall way and picked up speed.

Making it to her room without incident was a plus, so Squall took a moment to breath with the stifling crowd. Shuffling to her bed, she sat on it and leaned over to pull her Gunblade case from beneath it. Swiping imaginary dust of the cover, she looked proudly at the symbol on the case. Griever's silver stood out starkly against the black case, making it very well know whose weapon it was. Clicking open the locks,

Squall pulled the Revolver out and inspected it for anything she may have missed the day before. Finding nothing wrong, she pulled out the holster and sheathed the blade. She needed to work out the stress of school and train, so Squall figured it would be best if she headed for the training center and killed two birds with one stone.

Fitting the belt on, Squall left her room and walked for the large doors the housed the training center. Once inside, she surveyed the area before plunging into the green forest in search of Grats and Bite Bugs. The forest floor was littered with tracts and droppings leading her farther into center.

Rounding a tree, Squall came face to face with a few Grats. The plant creatures were milling around, waving their tentacles to and fro in a bored manner. Unsheathing her blade, Squall slowly moved toward monsters trying to catch them off guard. Finally, one did notice and let out a screech alerting the others to her presence. Adopting a battle stance, she waited for the creatures to charge.

Watching a brave one approach, she clicked the safety off and tightened her grip on the blade before striking. The Grat was surprised for a moment before giving off a loud angry cry. Taking advantage of the moment, Squall lunged and her blade slide perfectly into the creature, cutting off whatever was left of the scream. Turning to look at the other creatures, Squall fell into a crouch.

When the three Grats launched, Squall swiped her blade in an upward arch at them. Spinning out of reach of the tentacles, she sliced in front, opening a wound in one Grat. Shifting out of the direct path, she moved alongside the creature and sliced open its side, spinning it around to bury her blade in its stomach. Putting her foot on the creature, she pushed off and spun around to meet another monster.

The Grat in front of her swung its tentacles toward her head, forcing her to duck low, then pushed up in an upper cut. Twisting her torso, she swept her blade in a circle slicing into the last Grat. Jumping back to avoid the tentacles Squall dodged to the side and leapt into the air, landing her blade in the last creatures head.

Pulling her blade out of the Grats skull, Squall stepped back to survey the battlefield for any items. A card and a potion were the only things she managed to root out of the corpses. Leaving the area, Squall moved deeper into the forest in search of more enemies.

Back in her room, Squall sat down on her bed with a heavy sigh. She'd found a few more creatures, but none that gave her what she was looking for. Nothing seemed to be able to make her stronger. Logically, she shouldn't feel so bad, it was impossible to become stronger after only a day of training. But, how had Seifer gone from a scrawny boy to what he was now? Puberty must be to blame, and her gender screwed her out of any muscles he had gained.

Shaking her head, Squall opened her weapon case and pulled out the cleaning supplies. It would be a little before she'd be able to sneak to the teachers bathrooms, so she might as well clean her blade. Looking at the clock as she realized she'd spent three hours in the center and it was now six thirty. Dinner was probably being served about now. _Oh well. _Continuing to polish the blade, she counted down the minutes until the halls would most likely be clear.

Finishing of the polish coat on the Revolver, Squall replaced her blade and made ready for the shower. Clothes, bandages, and towel in hand, she quietly made her way the teachers bathroom. Sliding the card through the lock, she quickly set off for her shower, trying to be fast as possible. Scrubbing her scalp, she felt the dirt and whatever else come up. It didn't take long once her hair was finished to be done with her shower.

Stepping out of the water, she dried off as best she could, before her stomach gurgled. Throwing her clothes on, she made sure the bandage was in place before she jetted out of the bathroom and toward her room. Dropping her stuff off, she then made her way to her place in line at the cafeteria. The line itself was small, most people having gone through much before seven thirty, an hour and a half before it closed, so Squall was faced with meager choices.

The hotdogs where gone, as where many of the other reasonable choices. The only thing left that looked edible was the Beefaroni, and even that looked like it could crawl off the plate. Swallowing her appetite, she ordered and walked to her little table. Sticking a fork in the middle of the meaty goo, she cringed and put the stuff in her mouth. Shutting her eyes, she continued the process, trying to think of anything else but what was on her plate.

When Fork struck plastic, she knew she was done. Picking up her plate, she made her way back to the counter and dropped it off. Turning back toward the door, she found she was in a large shadow. Looking up at the offending creator of the shadow, she wasn't surprised to see a large blond standing there.

"Well, looks like you came out of hiding. Just in time for outside curfew… Coincident?" He ask, looking down at his littler opponent. Squall just glared and attempted to move past him. "Hey, not so fast…I did get to talk to you earlier." Seifer smirked as his rival snorted and pushed his shoulder. "You realize I'm not letting you go that quick right?"

"Don't you have some freshman to pick on?" Squall finally snapped, feeling frustrated. He'd already stated they couldn't go off campus, so what did he want?

"Why? You're my favourite and you're right here. So, why were you so hard to find earlier?" Frowning at the question, Squall once again gave a half hearted attempt to push past the insanely cocky bastard.

"I was busy with other things."

"Too busy for me? I'm hurt." Stumbling back, Seifer brought a hand to his heart and sneered down at her.

"Anything's better than spending time with you, Jackass." Squall smirked back, and shoved past the behemoth.

"Haha, funny as hell. Now, answer."

"Why mother, I didn't know you cared so much. Now, how about you piss off?" Squall growled, again faced with a large shoulder. How the hell was he moving so fast?

"Look, I think you were hiding from me. You couldn't handle me…I'm too much man for you, huh little princess. If I'm that scary, why didn't you say so before and I'd go play with the bigger 

boys." Breathing slowly, Squall felt fury build up as she sent ice daggers toward the blond. How he managed to push buttons…Not sure what to say, she just chose to say nothing and glare.

"I'm waiting, what do you want me to do? Go, or stay?" He asked, raising a brow. _Well, if it were that damn easy I would have told you to leave a long time ago…But…I need someone to train with…_

"How about you take that sword of yours and ram it up your ass." Squall snapped and pushed past. Hearing him shift to move in front of her again, she decided to make a break for it and ran. The foot steps behind her signaled that this had become a chase.

Seifer watched as the brunette ran full speed ahead of him. For such a small person he could run pretty damn fast. Seifer smirked, a dancer's body, or a runner, but not good for sword wielding. Too bad, he could see the little fry in a ballet costume twirling like a faery.

Turning a corner, Squall's room came in sight. Putting on that burst of speed, Squall made it too her room before she felt something run into her.

"Now…Why don't you tell me why you won't answer?" He had her pinned to the door making it just that more difficult.

"I was busy in the damned training center, if you must know. Now let me go you bastard." She snapped, anger getting the best of her.

Seifer let out a barking laugh and released the 'boy'. "Now, was that so hard?" He asked.

"Would you just leave me alone?" Squall snapped, looking at the door to her room.

"Well, your doors there, so why don't you just run again? Always running…And training. You know you'll never get good enough to beat me." Squall saw red. Everything was red. Turning slowly she set her eyes on the only thing that wasn't red. She could feel the rage in her chest roaring, but she still had a hold on it.

"One more time...Fuck off." She hissed trying a lower tone.

"I think I made my point…But to make sure…" He reached forward, but she never found out what he was trying to do.

The roaring in her hest moved to her head and she ceased to hear anything but red. She watched as her hands knocked his aside and landed a blow to his face. They didn't stop though and her leg decided to join. Lifting up she attempted a cheap shot but was blocked. It didn't stop; it just landed on his stomach while her hands boxed his ears.

When Seifer doubled over, her body took advantage and wringed an arm around his neck. Blinking Squall felt her body fall on something softer than the floor. Looking she realized Seifers spine was underneath her knee. And she was saying something…What was it?...

"-so maybe you should grow some before you mess with this that have." Standing she suddenly gained control of her body. Faltering a second, she turned to her door, put in the password and disappeared.

Seifer blinked for a moment before he realized he was on the floor. Squall had actually laid him out… "That little bastard…" Standing, he watched as the said person disappeared into 'his' room. "Maybe you aren't such a weak ass." He muttered, cringing at the ringing in his ears. "This isn't over." He called loud enough, but in a deep enough tone that Squall knew she was in trouble. Giving the door one last look, Seifer stalked off down the hall.

On the inside of the room, Squall slid down the door and looked at her hands. She'd not lost her cool in a long time…But that Seifer just managed to pull it out of her…Hell; she was sure anything he tried for he would be able to pull out of her. A frightening thought.

Standing, she decided it was time to sleep. Changing into something lighter, she settled down to sleep.

-Dream-

It was the same as before...A woman...Holding her head...Why? Lilies...What was that woman saying? Wait...A thought...

The place was dark, very little light falling through the windows. Voices were speaking in the background. Squall strained to hear, but couldn't seem to focus. She knew whatever it was they 

were speaking about was serious, but she didn't know how she even knew. But, she was safe. She'd just have to wait to see what they decided to do with her…

Do with her?...

…!

**Well, there's another chapter, sorry it took so long. Anyway, soon missions and actual battlefields will come in…I just have to get there…Soon we'll have the real meat and potatoes!**


	3. Over and Under

**A/N: Chapter 3**

Disclaimer: I do not own

Chapter Three: Over and Under

Squall slowly opened her eyes to see her white ceiling hovering above. Her vision was blurry with sleep and her ears where ringing from the alarm that was sounding on her bed side dresser. Groaning, she rolled over and slammed her hand down on the off button and laid in silence for a moment.

When a few minutes passed, she finally felt it was time to start moving. Cracking her eyes open, she shifted into sitting position and immediately wished she hadn't. Turning her head to stare at the clocks red numbers, she frowned at the bright 5:15 that was displayed.

Running her hands through her hair, Squall set her feet on the floor and shivered. Standing slowly, she repeated in her mind that there was a point behind the early rising and pushed herself to dress. Wednesday. Yes, it was Wednesday and that meant half way through the week. Strapping her blade n place, she surveyed her room and found it up to par.

Shaking her head one last time, Squall left her room and entered the empty hall ways. Making her way to the Training Center she kept a look out for Seifer or anyone else she was trying to avoid. Namely everyone. Reaching the large doors, Squall pushed past them without even thinking about it.

Walking quietly, Squall attempted to avoid as many battles as possible as she made her way to the Secret Area. Despite the name, it was not a secret, but just a place to get away or rest after a battle. Passing by a few Grats, she counted herself lucky when none noticed her on her way.

The Secret Area was blessedly empty, which gave Squall a moment to relax as she leaned against the railing. It was impossible to stay serene in her own room knowing that the moment he woke up Seifer would be banging against her door begging for a spar. Giving a humorless laugh, she supposed that yeah, now she was avoiding the strong blond.

Hating the gutless feeling, Squall tried to rationalize the situation. Seifer was stronger, faster, and pissed off. She'd be thrashed in only a few second and knew that. She supposed that's what pissed her off the worst.

Slamming her fist down Squall sighed in frustration. "Coward one way, beaten the other." She hissed, clenching her bruised hand. The sun would be rising soon, and she knew she needed to get moving before others invaded and tipped Seifer off. She was just so damn tired of running.

Shutting her eyes, she focused on the next problem she had to log away in her metal filing system. That damned dream had returned and left her with nothing. The only good thing was that the details were becoming more clear and easier to read. Straining her memory, she growled when all she got was fuzzy images and blurry snap shots of places and people.

Knowing that she'd get nothing done until her body released its anger, she pushed off the railing and stormed back into the training center with one thing in mind.

Seifer wondered the halls, watching and waiting for a certain brunette to appear. 'He' had a date with destiny, and Seifer was going to be damned if the little pip squeak managed to skate out of destiny's reach. Again. The 'boy' had to know it was useless to avoid revenge forever, so Seifer made himself content he'd find his rival soon.

He could actually picture the look of resignation, the one he always got before he was cornered. Eyebrows pulled lower and faraway look would signify his knowledge that he knew his time was reached. Seifer just wished 'he' wouldn't look so end-of-the-worldish. It was desperate and just plain sad. The 'boy' was much too melancholy.

Taking a seat on the bench facing the dorms, Seifer contended himself with waiting. But after thirty minutes, he began to grow impatient.

"Look you little bastard, I don't have all day…" He growled, foot tapping the ground in restless agitation. Rolling his neck, he sighed. That 'boy' was normally very punctually, always up before Seifer himself. Tapping his fingers, he wondered if the 'boy' overslept. No, he never did. So the only other option was that he was avoiding Seifer. An unusual move, but if he wanted to play that game…

Standing, Seifer smirked and began to walk slowly to Squall's room. His rival was probably pacing by now, wondering when he'd show up and deliver the news of his defeat. Quickening his step, Seifer couldn't help but let his mind wonder to the part where he had the other Gunblader's throat at the tip of his blade.

Reaching the room, he banged loudly on it, hoping to startle the occupants. When no one answered, he knocked again. Waiting a second he heard footsteps and prepared himself. He wasn't going to be taken like he had last night.

The door opened slightly, brown eyes peeking out from behind the frame. Stopping, Seifer stared openly at the boy that had to own the room next to Squalls.

"Hello?" The boy asked tentatively.

"I'm looking for Squall, is 'he' here?" Seifer asked feeling rather annoyed. Squall was supposed to answer the door not this kid.

"No, Squall left really early this morning I don't know where 'he' went, I didn't bother to ask." The boy said softly, still slightly frightened by large boy at his door.

"Fine, what's your name?" Seifer asked beginning to get pissed.

"Nida."

"Nida. Tell Squall when you see him that Seifer's looking for him and that he should know why." Not even bothering to see if the boy understood, Seifer turned and stalked down the hall.

So, Squall wanted to play Cat and Mouse? He'd play, but he'd play to win. He knew where the 'boy' liked to go when he wasn't in his room or in class. Pushing through the doors to the Training Center, Seifer scanned the area for the small form he was pursuing.

Cocking his head to the side he listened for any sounds of battle. Hearing a faint sound, he decided that was most likely his prey and followed the sounds.

The forest was thick aand slow go, but Seifer made the best of it usung the sharp end of his sword to pull down vines and whack at low limbs. Reaching the battlefield, he wasn't surprised to see his rival finishing a Bite Bug. He stood silently; waiting for the 'boy' to finish scouring the battlefield for items so he could move in.

Squall heard noises behind her and had the bad feeling that her luck had run out. Straightening herself slowly, she turned to face her opponent with an impassive face.

"Seifer."

The blond smirked, making her internally wince. She was fucked.

"You know." He pureed, coming closer. "You'll only get so good fighting those creatures. Besides, you're braver than that." Stopping a few feet away, Squall felt the flight instinct kick in but pushed it away. If she was going to lose, she'd lose with as much dignity as she could muster.

"I'd say you could probably take on a T-Rexaur with as much courage as you've got…But you have one little problem…" He trailed off, staring hard into her eyes. "You lack any strength. And have no skill." He smoothly continued.

Staring blankly, Squall wished he'd just hurry up and make his move. "But," His voice became more normal, "I didn't come here to just talk." Pulling Hyperion into a battle stance he eyed Squall with distaste.

Squall complied with raising her own blade and stared at the blond with empty eyes. She was trying to take herself as far away from the battle as she could, preferring the thought of the lady that smelled like lilies.

"Come on!" Seifer suddenly roared, pulling Squall's attention back to reality. She had just enough time to pull her blade up when Seifer descended. It was all she could do to block the sword and not actually get hit. He was aiming for injury, not training, and Squall knew that if she could at least land a few blows of her own she'd have an accomplishment.

Ducking left, she parried his slice and returned in a lunge. It was easily blocked, and she had just enough time to dodge and move back. Managing a moment away from the furious blond, Squall had a moment to asses her options. She could give and end it quickly, fight and lose slowly, or run.

Not giving her any time to chose, Seifer closed in again and Squall was once again put on the defensive.

Seifer struck as hard as he could, enjoying the pained expression that would filter through the blank one on his rivals face. The battle was obviously one sided but he really didn't care. Aiming for the stomach, he feigned left.

Squall made the mistake of following the blade, and it was pointed out to her as a sharp pain ripped through her abdomen. Unable to resist the body's natural reaction to protect itself, Squall was forced to the ground, kneeling on one knee, other pulled up close. Holding her blade horizontally up above her, she felt herself being pushed to a sitting position by the rain of blows vibrating the Revolver.

Sighing quietly inside, Squall felt ashamed that the battle was ending so quickly. It didn't take much to put her on the ground, and she was struck with the realization that Seifer had been pulling many of his attacks in the past. Her heart felt like stone as she became aware of her weak state. Looking into Seifer's eyes, she lowered her blade and soon felt a sharp pain invading upon her shoulder. Falling back onto the ground, she allowed self pity to pervade her senses.

Seifer watched the brunette fall, and felt the rage that had simmered in his chest die down. Frowning, he wondered why the 'boy' had lowered his defense and allowed himself to become injured. Whatever the reason he didn't care.

"Get up." He snapped, glaring down at his rival who had yet to move.

Squall just ignored him, wondering how she would ever be able to fight back, to ever make it to SeeD. Sure, she managed against monsters and other students, but Seifer was just unbeaten. He seemed to not even have a weakness. Breathing out, Squall pushed away the self pity and slowly rose to a sitting position.

Glaring icily up, she moved to stand, ignoring the pain in both her shoulder and stomach. "You've had your revenge." She snapped, pushing past the tall blond.

"I'm not finished." He growled coming up behind her.

"Yes, you are." She stopped, waiting to see what he would do.

Coming up, Seifer grabbed her injured shoulder and forced her to turn around. "You can't beat me."

"Not yet, no."

Seifer stopped, mouth open. That was the first time that Squall had openly admitted to being the weaker of the two.

"But," She continued, "one day I'll get better. And when I do, you'd better hope that I don't come looking for you." She hissed, pushing his hand off of her shoulder. Turning around, she walked toward the exit, not sparing a glance back.

"One day you two will learn some self control. And when you do…" Kadowaski trailed off, pushing the needle into Squall's shoulder. "I want to be there." She finished.

Sqaull winced as the needle pushed through her skin again and again. It turned out that her shoulder was worse off that she had originally thought.

"So, what was it this time?" The woman asked, tying a knot in the string.

"Nothing important."

The doctor frowned and forced the girl to look at her. "Oh, it's something. If I have to put you back together, it's something."

Squall thought for a moment before answering. "It's something you wouldn't understand." She supplied.

Kadowaski stopped and could only stare at the girl. "Try me."

Squall just shook her head. "It's more…Personal I think…More than anyone else thinks." Looking at the older woman, she hoped she'd understand. When all she got was a blank look she shrugged. "Thanks."

The older lady sighed and waved her off. "Whatever you say."

Leaving the infirmary, Squall headed for her rooms. She wasn't even going to bother to go to class. She needed a shower and by the time she would be finished, class would have started, and truthfully, she didn't feel like dealing with people today. She had enough to mull over in her mind as it was.

Reaching her room, she typed the code and entered her small dorm. Pulling out clean clothes, Squall began to mull over the revelation, of sorts, that she'd had.

It was no secret that Seifer was a better fighter than she was. But it was always understood that Squall was his rival, even though there were others more capable. The fact was that Seifer chose her. Not because there were others more capable now, but that he knew…

He knew that she could get better. That she should and would get better, better than any other student in the school. Somehow, the thought was enough to strengthen her resolve.

She would beat him.

**One more…Yay! Getting a little more interesting…**


	4. Why We Do

**A/N: Yay for chappy four!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, duh**

Chapter Four: Why We Do

Squall wondered the halls before classes ended, having taken her shower earlier. Thankfully, it was quiet, so she had plenty of time to have her quiet time. She was almost in an amiable mood which was a shock, especially considering the events that had transpired that morning. Shaking away the unwanted thoughts, she continued to slowly make her way around the school.

Why she was wondering the halls actually had a purpose. She was waiting for Seifer to exit his class and see her. It was her message to him that she wouldn't hide anymore, and that he should expect his position of All Mighty to be knocked down a few pegs. Squall almost smiled. Almost.

Glancing at one of the many clocks in the hallway, she saw that she only had about twenty minutes before show time. Deciding that she might as well get into position, she slowly made her way to stand in view of the elevator. She knew that she would have to stand back to about the directory to be at a safe distance, 'since when those doors opened the weight load total on the elevator was pushed and as many students that could fit would be on. She also was counting on Seifer's teacher to hold him back just to lecture him on injuring other students.

And for that, he'd only manage a glimpse before Squall would slip off unnoticed; hopefully rattling a cage of a certain blond in a challenge he didn't know how to handle. Leaning back against the directory, Squall settled in for a little wait before the moment of truth. It didn't take long after the bell rang for students to come pouring out of the elevator. Soon, the whole area around the steel doors was packed and it was getting harder for her to see the doors.

Even though the halls were filling Squall didn't worry. She knew the moment Seifer stepped out of the elevator the halls would part like the Galbadian Sea and he'd see her standing a little way off. Then her time would be up and she'd walk away.

As if in cue, the elevator dinged, bringing Squall from her thought and to reality. Seifer stepped out looking self confident as ever. Squall smirked and took a step forward before she stopped. Hovering behind the blond behemoth was a blackened shadow. Shaking her head she attempted to make the figure disappear, but it remained.

_What??_

Her mind moved fast, trying to think of what it could be. Her mental thought process ended when the thing moved, turning to look at her. _Holy shit! _Was all she could think as the thing stared at her.

Its white eyes and mouth where the only things visible in its black shroud. The thing smiled a moment before moving like liquid to the floor. It slithered around for a moment, coming ever closer to where she stood. _That's it. _Stepping back she decided that whatever it was, it wasn't for her to deal with. _But why can't anyone else see it?_

Looking around, everyone was acting normal as could be, even Seifer was laughing about something. It seemed as if no one could see the black thing that had materialized on the floor. Quickly stepping back from its approach, she was suddenly relieved as it stopped, looking as if it where sniffing a boys leg. The boy didn't move, just continued to talk to the little red haired girl that had his interest. Squall opened her mouth to say something, but a look from the creature stopped her.

The thing then wrapped itself the boy's leg. In a moment it was gone, as if dissolving into his leg. "Hey!" Squall heard the words come from her mouth, but didn't give them any thought as she moved closer to the shadows possible victim. The boy turned to look at her, seemingly confused. "I thought…" Squall muttered for a second looking at the boy's simple blue eyes. Sighing she shook her head.

"You ok?" The boy asked looking confused.

"Yeah, I…" Squall stopped as the boy's eyes shifted from blue to a chilling white. "You!"

"What?" The eyes shifted back with the boy sounding frustrated.

Looking at the blue eyed boy, Squall stepped back. "Whatever." Turning around she walked away quickly, forgetting about her plans with Seifer she left to find the quiet of her room.

Seifer stared at the retreating back of his rival with confusion. He'd seen the 'boy' staring at him for a moment after he'd stepped out of the elevator. Then it seemed as if 'his' attention had shifted to something behind him. Laughing at his rivals attempt to throw him off he started to walk toward the smaller 'boy', but stopped. 'He' seemed focused on the floor, ignoring even him. He would have called it a ploy to ignore him, but soon realized otherwise. The brunette had a fearful look on 'his' face, standing as if transfixed by something on the floor.

He stood quietly as Squall exchanged a few words with a random boy before the brunette looked shocked. Seifer looked at the random boy for a moment, trying to understand why he held so much interest for Squall but saw nothing. Looking back toward his rival he saw the 'boy' walking away at top speed, ignoring everything around him.

Pushing past the people in his way, Seifer followed the 'boy' intending to have a word with him. "Hey!" He shouted, causing the smaller form in front of him to stop. Turning he saw confusion and a little fear just barely masked over before the regular bored face was put in place. "What was that all about?" Seifer motioned over his shoulder.

"Nothing." Was the immediate reply before Squall turned back around. The hell if she'd let him know.

"Hey, I'm not that stupid." Seifer snapped, grabbing the brunette's shoulder to force 'him' to look back. Squall just glared at the tall boy. "What was it?" Seifer asked again, forcing himself to stay cool.

"Like you actually care." Squall snipped, shrugging Seifer's hand off.

"Well, you looked terrified, so I figured I needed to know. Was he your ex?" Seifer smirked as the little 'boy' glowered at him.

"You know what? Fuck off." Turning, Squall ignored his laughter, wishing she could sock him one without repercussions.

"And I wasn't terrified." She yelled back once he was far enough away.

"Bull shit!" Was the answer.

Storming down the hall, Squall figured it was best if she just stayed in her room. Hell would freeze over before she would tell anyone what happened in the hallway. Besides, no one would believe her any way. Sitting on her bed, she pulled her shoes off before lying down.

_What was that thing anyway? _She mused, turning to lie on her side. _It didn't look normal…Was it a Creep? But shouldn't others be able to see it as well? Why just me? And what about that boy? _Turning to lie on her back she sighed. She didn't have any answers and had no way of finding any. The only things she had was a black shadow and a possibly possessed boy. Pulling 

her pillow close, she settled her head on one corner of the plushy object and closed her eyes. It was impossible to think of everything that the shadow could have been. Was it as simple as her going crazy? _But I don't feel crazy…But that's probably what all the loons say…_Not comforted by the thought, she sighed.

Curling up tighter, she continued to think of the what-if's before sleep managed to break realities hold.

-Dream-

It was the damned lilies again. Squall frowned for a moment in pure frustration before a hand touched her forehead. Relaxing a bit beneath the touch she took stock of what she felt. It was nice and cool, almost cold, perhaps autumn. Her head was resting on the woman's lap again, soft white dress beneath her. Flexing her hands, she felt grass crunch between her fingers. This was the most focus she'd managed to have during this dream.

Trying to force her eyes opened, Squall was suddenly rebuked. "Hey now, shhh…it's okay." A voice said from above. It was a nice voice too, quiet and smooth but also a little rough.

Opening her mouth Squall wanted to ask so much but all that came out was, "Where…?"

A sigh sounded before she was answered. "In a good place, a safe place."

"But…"

"No, no more questions, just rest." Feeling a pull, Squall sighed as she descended farther into sleep.

Feeling a change, she realized she was no longer laying on the woman's lap, but somewhere else. It felt closed as to how the earlier dreams felt open, spacious. Trying to move, she realized she had less control in this dream and settled back, waiting.

"I'm sorry….N-…Ra-…W-…C-…" Squall frowned as static fuzzed over the words, blurring the sounds from her hearing. She needed to hear this, or otherwise why did they keep bringing her here?

More sounds where made but she couldn't hear them.

"Please…" She wasn't sure if she thought it or said it out loud, but a voice answered none the less.

"We'll take good care of her."

-End Dream-

Shooting up from the bed, Squall searched her room for anything and anyone. When there was nothing to be seen she slumped back onto her bed. The dreams had become more real, almost as if she were really there. Turning to look at the clock she saw it was eight thirty. Groaning, she pulled herself up and out of bed. She wasn't in the mood for anything the cafeteria had, but she still needed to take another shower.

It wasn't as if she needed to be clean, but she knew that if she didn't that by this time tomorrow she'd be rather ripe. Pulling out the necessary objects she made her way to the bathroom and started her routine. It wasn't long before she was dressed and out the door back to her room, mind still working over the day.

Making it back to her room, she decided that she didn't need any more days like this one. Setting her clock for a more reasonable six, she set to cleaning up her room. It only took about five minutes, but it was still something she felt she had to do. Setting all her dirty clothes in one small basket, she quietly left her room and made her way toward the laundry room.

The hallways where nearly empty of students, most finding it more relaxing to be in their rooms on a Wednesday night, or out with friends in Balambs small town. Making her way to the almost totally empty room was rather easy, but what was in the room made her stop. The boy from earlier was standing at a machine, looking sadly at his shirt that had a stain on it.

Walking to the machine farthest away from the boy, Squall made a mental vow to not care about anything but washing her clothes. She would not make this weird day any weirder. Setting her clothes in the machine, she added soap and pushed the wash button. Moving over to a seat, she grabbed a magazine from a table and began to read.

She stopped on the second sentence, hearing footsteps come closer to her. "Hey." It was that boy again. Looking up she raised an eyebrow. "Look, I was just wondering what was going on earlier." He muttered, rubbing the back of his head. Shrugging Squall put down the magazine.

"Oh, come on, you were looking at me like I had grown a second head."

Squall sighed for a moment before answering. "I thought I saw something. That's all."

"What like a bug?" He asked, looking incredulous.

"Something like that."

"Oh, ok, cool…Well my name is Ben so, yeah." Ben smiled sheepishly.

"Squall." She muttered, picking up her magazine.

"Right, well, I'll leave you alone then." Squall watched as he walked away, almost feeling relieved. He didn't seem possessed. Mentally slapping herself, she wondered just how much she overreacted. Settling herself in for a wait, she read an article about politics to pass the time. It wasn't really that interesting, but she couldn't help but smirk at the audacity of the Galbadian president. His newest stunt was to rename Galbadia city Deling city after himself.

Shaking her head at it, she wondered if she'd ever meet a president that she'd actually like. Hearing the telltale ding, she stood and changed the load over to the drier and sat back. Surveying the room, she saw a few others had come to wash their dirty garments. Frowning she noticed Ben still standing at his machine, humming and tapping his feet. Shrugging, she figured he had more than one load to do.

Looking back to the magazine, she started the next article that caught her eye. It was about how doctors thought GFs where bad for their users. Squall wasn't sure if should believe it, or just throw it out as an attempt for more peaceful means to end the fighting. Continuing on, she waited for the load to finish.

It wasn't much longer before a loud ding broke her out of a trance. Throwing the magazine on the table, she pulled her load of mostly black clothes out and carefully began to fold the few pieces. Setting the neatly folded clothes into the basket, Squall picked up her things and made her way for the door.

"Hey." A voice seemed to call from behind. Giving a sigh, she turned around knowing it would have to be Ben.

Ben stared at the strange boy named Squall he'd just become acquainted with. The feminine boy was looking at him as if waiting for him to say something. Opening his mouth to ask her what 'he' wanted now, he was suddenly taken aback when his voice said something completely different. "Hope I get to see you again, you seem like a cool person." The words slipped out smoothly, almost as if he'd meant to say that in the first place.

Squall just raised a brow and left, not sure how she should take that offer. Shaking the uneasy felling off, she made her way back to her room.

Ben watched the brunette leave and almost felt angry. He didn't want to hang out with the stoic, so what made him say so?

_Because I want to… _Seemed to echo in his mind. Frowning he wondered if he'd ever sounded that way to himself. Shrugging it off as nothing, he failed to notice his eyes shifting between a milky white back to blue.

**Hah! There, something actually happening! Ohhh, I feel so excited… X3**


	5. Capture of the Eyes

**A/N: Well, I've been extremely busy for a long time. 3 Honors classes, graduation project, Dance Team, Musical… I'm actually supposed to be working on AP homework but I've decided to skip out. Sorry for the wait!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Five: Capture of the Eyes

Squall slowly made her way back to her room with laundry in tow. Ben, infected boy, wanted to spend more time with her. Right, like she wanted to. Holding her laundry tighter she passed by dorm rooms that sounded full of life. Why did people throw parties in the middle of the week? Were they truly that desperate?

Gliding into her small room, Squall dumped her clothes on the bed and began the process of folding. Eyes glancing occasionally at the clock, she moved at a rhythmic pace folding and storing her monochromatic wardrobe.

Black, white, black, white…That was all she ever thought existed. Shades of grey, simple right? Shaking her head she chose to ignore the question romping in her mind and put her life in one word. FUBAR. What else could explain Seifer, and the shadow? _Why can't I be normal?_

Blinking, Squall mused quietly before she realized what she was doing.

_I don't want to think so much. Life is simple right? Become a mercenary, get paid, retire and have…a garden. Sure._

Growling at her thoughts, Squall finished her laundry and settled on the bed. Thumping her head on the wall, her eyes sought something of interest. The silver on her Blade case caught her attention. It was finite, real. Not fake like everyone around her. Griever was real. A symbol of life through pain, a plain testament to struggles and the never ending truth the sacrifices.

That. That would be all she would need.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Seifer huffed as the bell for class rang. Students herded to class like cattle, moaning and groaning about a new day and more homework. He smirked at them. That was why they would never be the best. Striding through the door, Seifer scanned the room for his rival. Squall didn't appear in class yesterday much too many people's surprise.

But, today 'he' was there in the back of the class. A blot of black and white against the background.

"Feeling better?" He asked, smirking down at the small 'boy'.

Blue eyes deadpanned up, blankly looking past Seifer.

"What?" The blond asked, growling at the quiet brunette.

"Whatever."

"Well, gee, love you too princess…" Seifer grinned, leaning closer to the stoic.

Squall just stared impassively at Seifer, wondering when he would give up. She'd decided to give up on the blond and move on.

"Well, we have our test soon…" Seifer smiled oddly. Squall raised a brow. "Just letting you know you'll be taking orders from me soon."

Squall lowered her eyes and ignored the last statement.

_So you wish._

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Seifer glared at the young 'boy' with impassive eyes. The 'boy' no longer responded to anything that he said. Everything was locked away behind the stoic mask and nothing had shown through in months. Every once in a while Squall would look up and 'his' eyes would spark to life, but then the life was snuffed out by the ice that had to run through 'his' veins.

Squall stared blankly past the glaring boy, knowing she'd only have to wait. She'd finally got it all straightened out and there was nothing Seifer could do to change her mind. Not that she cared. Her schedule was flawless and when summer ended she'd have those plans set up too. But what were the plans?

Shifting in her seat, her muscles screamed, but she'd learned to ignore that. Since that night, her mind had become sealed off from anything unwanted. As soon as emotions rose, they were gone. She didn't know why, but she didn't care much either. It had all started when the black thing showed up. After talking with Ben in the laundry room, she felt fear pervade her system.

Confusion followed and soon it became clarity. Whatever the shadow was, it was waiting. So, she was too. That shadow wanted her and she only had to wait. While it may sound odd, she wasn't afraid. She knew it was just meant to happen. The dreams had stopped, and furthermore, so had all the painful memories.

Well, if you could call those things memories. All they ever were was flashes of sadness at a home by the shore.

Ben watched as Squall sat in silence, immune to Seifer's glare. Internally he was shaking with mirth, for he had long since stopped being Ben. No, slowly through testing the waters he had become something more. His ideal shape began to form, and from the inside out he was becoming what he was intended for. Soon, all that would be left of this host would be an empty shell.

So, Ben sat back and turned his attention back to the teacher. He knew all that she taught so why he bothered to come to class was pointless. He just needed to stay close to the creator that was all. Sliding his eyes to look over at the girl he couldn't help the chuckle the passed between his lips. Hyne was a funny god.

Seifer glanced at the quietly laughing boy and frowned. What did he want anyway? Little freak. Ever since that little interlude, Squall hadn't been the same. The crease in his forehead deepened as he surveyed the runt. Well, tall runt. Ben was much skinnier than he had been in months, and looked more like death. Where he got the energy to continue moving was beyond him.

Ben felt Seifer's eyes on him and really didn't mind. He actually was rather curious about the child since the young human was where he got most of his form from. If it weren't for him, he would be a Blank as they were called. Looking deep into the green eyes, he smiled and waved before turning his attention to the board. Silly humans.

Squall watched the seemingly innocent exchange between Ben and Seifer with little interest. _Maybe he's got himself a new target. Whatever. _She would ignore them both, even though both seemed to follow in her wake wherever she went.

Eventually, the bell signaled the end of class and Squall felt a small relief until a body blocked her way. Glancing up, she felt no surprise at seeing livid green eyes boring holes into her own blue ones.

"Usual place. Now."

Squall felt a small bit of satisfaction before it was whisked away by and empty feeling. Sighing, she shifted to lean on one foot.

"What?" The blond seethed. Squall almost felt fear before that too dissolved. Floating in the black nothingness of a blank mind she formulated an answer.

"Why?"

"So it does speak. Good. Then you'll answer my questions. What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Staring into the emerald depths, Squall couldn't help but debate whether it was lasers or daggers seeping from the blond's eyes.

"Are you two going to battle?" A third voice broke through. Squall ignored Ben, and continued wondering why Seifer was so upset.

"Fuck off prick. I'm busy." Seifer wasn't sure if this was divine intervention or Diablos laughing.

Ben was amused. "I see you talking. But I still want to know."

"Go fuck a Grat, I'm busy." Seifer decided it was Diablos.

Squall was just unsure of everything. While she knew she should feel some sort of anger,perhaps pride, she was empty. It would be disconcerting if she could actually feel that. "Why do you need me? I thought you'd be a Seed and I'd be taking orders from a uniform." Squall mused in a dead voice.

Ben smiled as Seifer turned ten shades of red. "Look, you little ass wipe, usual place in fifteen minutes." Stalking out of the room, Seifer didn't know whether he'd kill Leonhart, or just maim 'him'. Both had an appeal.

"Well, he's a sunny fellow." Ben intoned, watching the dark cloud escape the room. Squall's eyes were blankly looking off. Sighing, Ben rolled his eyes. "If I must…" He muttered, grabbing Squall's hand for a moment.

To Squall, it felt like a blanket of ice was draped over her. Anger swelled into her as she noticed Ben's hand on hers. "Get off." She hissed, glaring her fullest at the boy.

"You have a match with Seifer in a few. May I watch?" Ben would be there whether she said yes or not, but he wanted to be there without hiding.

"What is with you? You're always following me." Squall muttered, slightly disoriented. Everything felt foggy, and every time she tried to remember something, it slipped away. Pursing her lips she tried to remember what she had for lunch.

"Well?" Startled out of her reverie Squall glared crossly at the deep voiced kid.

"Whatever." Squall turned without looking back. She now had seven minutes to make it too The Place. Question was why did she care?

Ben chortled in his deep voice and took off after the slim brunette. That girl was fast for sure. Soon though, he would make that change. Just a little bit more time before he was complete.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Squall sat on the rocks as she watched Seifer. He hadn't moved so she figured it was a waiting game. Okay, she didn't mind. Ben sat farther off as instructed, but Squall couldn't figure out why the boy came in the first place. Whatever. She trained her eyes to her rivals and sat in silence.

_Silence. It's always silent around me. It's nice, I suppose. But, does that mean people hate me? Do I care? No, I suppose I don't. But then again I guess I should care, but why? People always try to fill awkward silences with more annoying words. Is that why I hate people? DO I hate people? No, I don't. You just can't trust them that's all. They lie all the time. Then, they leave you. Even Seifer there will walk out one day, you'll see._

Ben listened to the soliloquy with interest. Raw emotions where pouring out from the girl and he knew he should tap into it. But, if he waited a bit, the emotions may become so profound it could become more. Sitting back, Ben was content to continue listening.

_So, I can't trust anyone. I won't be walked out on! I'm more than a memory, more than a face! But if they don't see me, then they can't ignore me. I guess I HAVE to be alone then, because there is no way anyone would stay around me. I'm too…too…_

Ben gave a fatherly smile as he stood. "Hey…" He stopped next to Squall. "You okay?" He asked, laying a hand on her arm.

"I'm-" Her words broke off to silence. Squall stared at Ben in silence, feeling like an empty well. Shrugging, she attempted to remember what she was thinking about.

Ben stood back and tried to process the thick emotions that coursed through him. Grief, doubt, anger, fear…All negative. Sitting down, he wondered what it would be like if she ever thought something positive.

Seifer watched the display with slight interest. He hadn't said anything since the 'boy' had arrived, and he was still unsure of what to say. Well might as well just let everything flow out. "Why have you been ignoring me?" He asked, staring hard into the blank blue eyes. Squall shrugged not sure what to say.

Seifer growled and walked closer. "Why have you been ignoring me you little prick."

Squall stood impassively and answered. "Why do you care?"

Seething, Seifer shut his eye and took a breath. "I don't care; it's just that I need to know if you're not worth it." Wincing, even he realized how weak the excuse sounded.

Squall quirked a brow, but said nothing.

"Leonhart…"

"I have no reason to be around you. Nor do I have a reason to care. All you do is bully people and I fail to see where I come in. If that is all." Squall replied, standing to leave.

"You, 'boy'," Seifer spat, "are the only other Gunblade user besides me in this building. Unless you plan on changing weapons, you're gonna have to deal with me."

"Still doesn't explain why you need me." Squall mused, wondering what was wrong.

"You can't ignore me!"

Squall's eyes lit up for a moment but soon the emotion died. _So, you just can't stand to have your ego deflated. Right._

Ben watched the emotions play out on Seifer's face and in his mind.

"You know what, forget it punk. I've tried being nice, but that just doesn't work." Seifer growled as he walked away. Bending down, he unlatched Hyperion's case and pulled the blade out. "We're just gonna have to dance."

Squall wondered again, if she should feel anything. Taking Revolver from its case, Squall fell into a battle position and waited.

Seifer smirked as he charged, feeling the need to punish and destroy.

Squall felt the fire, but refused to let it faze her. If the boy wanted to fight with fire, fine.

Ben stood back from the battlegrounds, ready for the onslaught. With the tensions rising between the two, he'd be fully ready in no time.

**Well, it's not great but I got it out. I know I've been gone a long time, so I'm out of the groove. Well, hopefully I won't be gone next time quite as long. If the chapter is confusing, it's supposed to be for a reason. Anywho, feedback helps.**


	6. With What We Hold Onto

**A/N: I…Am…Graduating…WTF I cannot be that old! Well, here's another installment that is many months overdue.**

Disclaimer: I own shit.

With What We Hold Onto

Tense. The whole area around the two fighters was tension at a high peak just waiting for the plunge. Green eyes glared down into cold blue ones, the challenge evident. The change only took a few moments but it was enough for Squall to see and enough to know that this one battle would be a winner takes all match.

Seifer charged forward, pushing all his weight behind his blade as he sliced. Why on earth these fights always brought out the worst in him he would never know, but then again, it never really mattered. The fire in his veins and the thrill of an enemy was all he needed when it came to life. Pressing further into battle, he twisted and spun away from Leanhart's pathetic attempts at the match. Only when our soul is totally engrossed into a fight would your results be finest.

Squall felt hazy, like half of her energy was being funneled someplace beyond her body and beyond her reach. Breathing heavy, she wondered if it was perhaps what had been altering her moods. Whatever it was, it was making her movements just those few seconds slower that would cause defeat. Frowning at the pondering, she gritted her teeth and fought back. The blade strokes came faster and faster in her direction, but her own lagged and fell behind in intensity.

"Fight or go home kid, you're just not worth being in the middle." Seifer hissed, parrying a low blow to his knees. "You can't both being mediocre with a Gunblade."

"Fuck You." Squall growled.

Ways away, Ben watched the fight with a half smile. He wasn't sure what he should do in this situation. In one hand, his body was nearly ready, but on the other, he could wait and get more for his time. A smart choice would be to wait for all the emotions to form and continue, but it almost felt like there would be a lack in more than just one emotion. Quirking a humorless smile, he figured that could be his coined phrase; he was one that was only formed on one emotion. Shaking his head from his thoughts, he focused again on the fight and decided to wait for more of an influx because after all, he could always take more.

Squall skidded back at a hard thrust, breath now coming in short heaves. "You should probably give up. Or find something else to do with that blade because you're not giving it the effort it deserves." Seifer called, almost sounding like he cared.

"What do you want from me?" Squall asked as she sucked in the thick air of the coast..

"I NEED you to get better, because I have to know if I am wasting my time teaching a grunt. I will have a league of my own." Seifer smirked, seeming more rested than when the battle began.

"What?" Squall asked, eyebrows scrunched in vague confusion and exhaustion.

Seifer shrugged at the sudden reprieve but let it slide. "If I'm ever going to become number one, I have to actually have opponents to battle. Being number one at a weapon that only one person has 'mastered' makes life rather pointless."

"So, all I ever am is a stepping stone?" Squall huffed, grip on her blade weakening.

Seifer nodded in clear satisfaction at the understanding.

Ben frowned at the sudden flurry of colours that passed before his eyes, the emotions vivid and overwhelming. The cap on the entire deal was coming up faster than he was expecting. Humming in slight disappointment, he only had one regret about the whole deal. He would miss all the happy emotions he'd had.

Squall stared silently into Seifer's eyes as he smiled in a confident and relaxed way. "Does anyone mean anything to you?" She asked, planting her sword in the gravel to use as a prop.

"Well, if they have something I need, yeah." Seifer answered picking up his blade.

Squall shook her head and lowered her eyes. It would be pointless to argue, especially in this state. Slumping over her blade she managed a few more words, "You'll never get that far acting like that." She muttered, going limp to the hard ground below.

"Hey!" Seifer stared in shock at the fallen Gunblader. Ben was much quicker and rushed to her side in a few seconds. Glaring up at the tall blond, he growled out an askance for help. "Well shit, if I knew he was that tired I would have just given up entirely."

"What's it to you?" Ben snapped, anger crawling up his spine.

"He's obviously cracking under the pressure." Seifer stated, staring down without pity.

"She's worth more than you think." Ben whispered softly, brushing the dark hair away from Squall's throat to check her pulse.

"What was that?"

"She'll be ready to fight you. Give her three days to rest and two to prepare." Ben answered, moving to pick up the unconscious girl.

"Why do you care?" Seifer frowned; backing away like the other man had a plague. "You show up outta nowhere and expect us to just let you 'join' in this little party? It doesn't work that way."

"Well, call me a concerned citizen, hmm?"

Seifer growled and stalked off. "Like I'm going to believe that one…"

Ben sighed and shook his head. Hefting the small form in his arms into a better position he reached over to grab the discarded Gunblade stuck in the ground. Pulling it up he struggled for a few moments to get it back into its case. Finishing his task, he stumbles his way back to the school.

Entering the building was no small feat, all students stopping to stare at the pair making their way toward the infirmary. Ben glared at half of the whispering student, but soon gave up the numbers reached up high. Walking through the sliding doors, Ben set Squall on one of the beds in the infirmary. Looking for the head nurse, Ben looked down at the resting figure.

"Promise you won't be alone for much longer…You just have to last long enough…"

**Done! Yay. Hopefully you all think this one was good. I know I've been gone awhile, but with musicals, AP testing and other exam work I just got this done.**


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